Bradley Smith on 125GP front row despite crash

British teenager Bradley Smith will start tomorrow’s Australian GP from the front row of the grid after he claimed second in a crash strewn final qualifying session.

The Polaris World Aprilia rider was one of several crashers on a sunny but blustery afternoon in Phillip Island, but he bounced back to secure second on the grid and he will start the 23-lap race behind world championship leader Mike di Meglio.

Smith logged a best time of 1.37.791 on his last flying lap after he escaped injury in a crash at the Honda Hairpin earlier in the session.

He was only 0.238s off claiming his fourth pole of the season, though his second secured him a ninth front row start of 2008.

Blusens Aprilia rider Scott Redding just missed out on a top 10 start as he was dumped to 11th in the final seconds.

He posted a best time of 1.38.767, while Danny Webb found the going considerably tougher today than his impressive showing yesterday.

Webb, who is nursing the pain of a broken right collarbone, had qualified second on the provisional grid in a rain-hit first qualifying session but slipped down the rankings and he will start 15th.

The Aprilia rider posted a best time of 1.38.912, which was still only 1.3s off pole position.